Evolution Technology

Evolution Technology

Following the route the driver had pointed out, Su Ze soon spotted a simply yet elegantly decorated shop brimming with futuristic style. Above the entrance, four large characters—"Evolution Technology"—were pieced together from silvery-white metal with a distinctive sheen.

Through the glass display window, Su Ze could see vial after vial of extract glowing with Evolutionary Light inside the display cases.

Su Ze's eyes lit up. Besides selling the Tier 4 extract in his possession, he had also come to buy a vial of Tier 1 extract for himself to absorb.

After absorbing another vial of extract, he would be able to attempt his first evolution.

Su Ze entered the shop and first glanced over the merchandise. Evolution Technology mainly dealt in extracts, and this shop was no exception. Two-thirds of the display cases held extracts, while the remaining third contained various tonics and several rare artifacts.

The moment she saw Su Ze enter, a beautiful mature woman in a cropped suit jacket and short skirt approached him with a smile. "Hello, sir. Are you here to purchase extracts?"

As she spoke, she did not forget to size Su Ze up from head to toe. He was young, sunny, and handsome, without the youthful awkwardness and shyness common among boys his age. His gaze was calm, and his demeanor composed; he was clearly someone who had seen the world. Although his clothes bore no visible brand, they were made of high-end fabrics and fit him perfectly. They were obviously custom-tailored.

He's a child from a wealthy family... The beautiful woman immediately came to her conclusion. Someone Su Ze's age who came to their shop was most likely here to buy Tier 1 extracts or tonics.

Yet when Su Ze spoke, his words caught her completely off guard.

"I want to sell a vial of extract."

The beautiful woman froze for a moment.

"What? You don't buy extracts?" Su Ze asked with a frown.

"Ah... we do. Please come with me." The saleswoman smiled apologetically and led Su Ze toward an office behind the counter marked "Appraisal Room." Halfway there, she suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly asked, "May I ask what tier of extract you wish to sell?"

Only then did the saleswoman remember that the appraiser and store manager had recently developed a deep hatred for low-quality Tier 1 extracts. The prices he offered for them were extremely low. If Su Ze was selling that sort of extract, the deal was basically doomed from the start.

And Su Ze looked so young. Even if his family background was decent, his personal strength could not have been all that impressive. The extract he had brought to sell was probably nothing special.

With that in mind, the saleswoman stopped walking. If Su Ze took out a low-grade Tier 1 extract, she would simply advise him to leave rather than risk angering their hot-tempered manager.

Su Ze had nothing to hide and answered, "A Tier 4 extract."

"Tier... Tier 4?" The saleswoman's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief. "Sorry, I didn't hear that clearly. Let me confirm—did you say you want to sell a Tier 4 extract?"

Without further explanation, Su Ze opened his handbag for the saleswoman. Inside was a vial of extract emitting a mysterious dark green glow.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet—the green Evolutionary Light corresponded to a Saint-level lifeform that had evolved four times.

Without question, this was a Tier 4 extract!

The saleswoman's breathing suddenly quickened. Her ample chest heaved violently, and one button of the white shirt beneath her tight little suit jacket gave way under the strain, revealing a glimpse of pale cleavage.

A Tier 4 extract—even the lowest-grade Tier 4 extract—was worth a fortune!

If this deal went through, it would mean excellent performance and a huge commission.

The saleswoman's attitude shifted from polite to respectful. She gave Su Ze a slight bow. "This way, please."

She suddenly recalled seeing several square plastic packets about the size of dried tofu in Su Ze's bag. Her face flushed slightly, and the way she looked at him became somewhat strange.

Children from wealthy families really did grow up early.

Su Ze had yet to realize that the human child blockers Zhao Lingxiao had left in his bag had caused the beautiful woman before him to misunderstand him slightly. He followed the saleswoman into the appraisal room.

The appraisal room was fairly spacious, but it was occupied by all kinds of equipment, leaving little room for people to move around. A slightly plump middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses sat before a computer, completely engrossed in whatever he was browsing, seemingly unaware of Su Ze and the saleswoman's arrival.

The saleswoman gave Su Ze an apologetic smile, then lightly cleared her throat to remind him. "Manager, a customer wants to sell an extract."

Without even raising his head, the manager asked, "What Exotic Beast's extract is it this time? A Drill Mouse or a Water Spray Frog?"

Drill Mice and Water Spray Frogs were the most common Exotic Beasts in the Black Rock Mountain Range. They were among the weakest Tier 1 Exotic Beasts. Their extracts contained weak Evolutionary Force, offering almost negligible physical improvements to whoever absorbed them, and their skills were mostly useless as well.

The Drill Mouse's two skills were "Burrowing" and "Eating Dirt." It could dig through soil and make tunnels fairly quickly, and it could eat dirt to fill its stomach, saving on food expenses.

The Water Spray Frog, meanwhile, possessed the paired skills "Water Absorption" and "Water Spraying." They were quite useful for washing cars, provided one had mastered both skills.

Because Black Rock City backed onto the Black Rock Mountain Range, it produced abundant extracts. However, nearly ninety percent of them were low-grade Tier 1 extracts, and extracts from Drill Mice and Water Spray Frogs accounted for more than half of those. Evolution Technology had stockpiled a large quantity of Drill Mouse and Water Spray Frog extracts years ago, only to find that even now, plenty remained unsold.

And nearly all the Drill Mouse and Water Spray Frog extracts that had piled up over the years had been purchased by the Black Rock City branch. As a result, the Black Rock City branch manager had not had a chance at promotion for several years. No wonder he got angry the moment he heard about Drill Mice and Water Spray Frogs.

Afraid that her manager's attitude would offend Su Ze, the saleswoman hurriedly reminded him, "Manager, this distinguished guest wishes to sell a Tier 4 extract."

"What!" The manager immediately sat upright. At last, his eyes left the monitor as he carefully examined Su Ze, then looked at the saleswoman and asked, "Are you sure?"

Su Ze was in a hurry, so he directly took out the Tier 4 extract from his bag. "You're the manager, right? Name your price."

Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, the manager's gaze locked onto the Tier 4 extract in Su Ze's hand like twin beams of light. In his eyes, it was not an extract at all—it was his hope of promotion!

The manager sprang to his feet and reached Su Ze in a single stride, displaying agility completely at odds with his build.

"This... may I ask how to address you, sir?" The manager's smile carried a touch of fawning eagerness.

"Su Ze."

"So it's Mr. Su. I'm the manager of this shop, Xu Sheng. You can just call me Old Xu." Xu Sheng tried to build rapport. "What a coincidence—both Mr. Su's name and mine have two characters."

Su Ze's expression turned strange, and he smiled. "Isn't it? We're both men too. What a coincidence."

Xu Sheng remained perfectly composed, not the least bit embarrassed. Turning around, he instructed the saleswoman behind him, "Xiao Li, brew a pot of tea. There are Evolution Tea Tree leaves in my drawer. Remember to use spring water, not the purified water from the dispenser."

"There's no need for tea. I'm in a hurry, so the faster, the better."